Figure Data

K+ transport from root to shoot is a critical process for sustaining physiological functions in aerial organs. We report here a short inward channel OsKAT1, localized in the root stele of rice, which contributes to root-shoot K+ translocation. Functional comparison between OsKAT1 and its C-terminal extended chimera OsKAT1-C1 in both Xenopus oocytes and Arabidopsis roots demonstrates that the short channel OsKAT1 mediates more efficient K+ transport than the chimera carrying a canonical C-terminus. Under field conditions, OsKAT1 activity shows significant contributions to K+ accumulation in shoots and grain yield of rice, highlighting its agronomic importance.